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' UNITED STATES PATENT Free.

RICHARD BERNSTEIN, OF LIND, N EAR COLOGNE, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEUTSCHE SPRENGSTOFF AGTIENGESELLSOHAFT, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

GRANULAR NlTRO-CELLULOSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,197, dated May 1'7, 887.

Application filed January 27, 1886. Serial No. 180.961. (No specimens.) Patentedin Germany October 3, 1885, No.3fi,l)6l; inEngland October 24, 1885, No. 12,778; in France November 16, 1885, No.17'2,309; in Belgium November 16, 1835, No. 70,865; in Italy December 31, 1885, No.19,109, and in Spain March 18,1886,No. 8.17:.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD BERNSTEIN, a citizen of Germany, residing at Lind, near logne, in the German Empire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Manufacture of Granular NitroOellulose, (for which I obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain October 24, 1885, No. 12,778; in Germany October 3, 1885, No. 86,061; in France November 16,

I0 1885, No. 172,309; in Belgium November 16, 1885, No. 70, 865; in Italy December 31, 1885, No. 19,109, and in Spain March 18, 1886, No. 8,178,) of which the following is a specification.

The nitrocellulose usually employed for explosives or for production of celluloid is liable to mat together or otherwise cohere, so that it is inconvenient in many cases to deal with it. When it is to be used, for instance, as an explosive, it cannot be poured like fine-grain gunpowder, and when it is to be used for producing celluloid it is difficult to mix it intimately with other substances without dissolving it.

This invention relates to the manufacture of nitro-celluloseiu form of fine,loose,and smooth grains, which can be packed closely together without cohesion, can be freely poured like fine dry sand, and can be readily mixed with other substances. For this purpose the solid fruits, nuts, or shells of nuts produced by va-' rious plants of the palm tribe, particularly the product of Phytelephas macrocarpa, usually known as vegetable ivory, and of several 5 5 species of li lam'itia, or the fragments or waste cuttings, sawings, or turnings of these, preferably. freed as much as possible from bark, are in the first place reduced by grinding to a line powder. This is boiled in alkaline lye or 40 treated with sulphi des,benzine,or other known reagents, so as to eliminate as completely as possible all ingredients except pure cellulose. The powder is then washed clean with water and thoroughly dried, if necessary, by artificial heat up to a boiling-point. powder, which is almost absolutely pure cellulose, is then nitrated in the usual way by treatment with nitric and sulphuric acids. The resulting product, carefully washed and dried, is a nitrocellulose of great purity, con 0 sisting of line smooth grains, like those of fine sand, which have great chemical stability, can be freely poured, and can be packed very closely together. This powder can be used as an explosive either alone or in combination with other substances, or it can be employed for the manufacture of celluloid or other materials to which nitrocellulose is applicable.

Some of the fruit-products, especially those that are very rich in cellulose-such as vegeta- 6o ble ivory-may be nitrated without first undergoing the chemical treatment above described for purification of the cellulose; andthe nitrocellulose may be freed from impurities, especially other nitro-eompounds, by boiling and washingin pure water.

.I-Iaving thus described the nature of my in vention and the best means I know for carrying it into practical effect, I claim- As a new article of manufacture,granular 7o nitro-cellulose prepared from the pulverized nuts, fruits, or shells of nuts of the Phytelcphas macroccu m and kindred plants, substan tially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7th day of January,

v RICHARD BERNSTEIN.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY KIRCHENER, P. BREVET.

The dry 5 

